09/10/2026
Your child has a diagnosis… but what happens next? ❤️
I'd love to hear from parents of children and teenagers who have received a diagnosis of autism or ADHD.
Receiving a diagnosis can bring an enormous sense of relief. After months, or sometimes years, of wondering why your child is struggling, it can be reassuring to finally have some answers and understand that there is a reason behind their experiences.
Perhaps you hope the diagnosis will bring clarity, practical support, strategies to help your child, or answers to the many questions you've been carrying.
But what happens when the diagnosis arrives and you're left wondering… What now?
For many parents and young people, this can be a confusing and overwhelming time. You may have a detailed report, but what does it actually mean for your child, your family and everyday life? Where do you turn for support? How do you understand your child's needs, navigate the challenges and help them make sense of who they are?
As a therapist, I feel there is a real need to bridge the gap between receiving a diagnosis and accessing the support that helps families move forward.
A diagnosis should not be the end of the journey. It should be the beginning of greater understanding, appropriate support and the opportunity for a child to thrive.
Working holistically means looking at the whole child, not simply the diagnosis. It means understanding their individual experiences, recognising their strengths, exploring the challenges they face and helping parents find practical tools and strategies to support them.
Above all, it means helping children and teenagers understand themselves, rather than growing up feeling that they are the problem.
Our children are not problems to be fixed. They are individuals with their own strengths, needs, personalities and potential. When we help them recognise what they are good at and understand how they learn, feel and experience the world, we give them a stronger foundation from which to navigate their challenges.
I believe early, appropriate support can make such a difference. Families should not have to navigate this journey alone or be left wondering what to do with the information they have been given.
❤️ I share this not only as a therapist, but also as a mum.
Receiving a diagnosis for my child brought a sense of relief. It helped us understand more about the reasons behind some of the challenges we had experienced and gave us a starting point for moving forward.
However, I also felt that we had to navigate a lot of the journey on our own. Having a diagnosis was one thing, but understanding what it meant in everyday life, recognising strengths, finding the right strategies and knowing where to turn for support was another.
This experience is one of the reasons I feel so passionate about supporting families. You don't have to have all the answers straight away, and you shouldn't have to figure everything out alone.
So, I'd love to ask parents:
💬 What was your experience after your child received an autism or ADHD diagnosis?
💬 Did you feel supported, or were you left trying to work everything out for yourself?
💬 What was the most helpful thing you received after diagnosis — and what support did you wish had been available?
💬 If you could offer one piece of advice to a parent who has just received their child's diagnosis, what would it be?
Your experiences matter. By sharing them, we can help build a better understanding of what families really need, not just at the point of diagnosis, but in the journey that follows.
And if you are a parent trying to make sense of your child's diagnosis, understand their needs or find ways to support them through their challenges, if you feel I could support you and your family, please do get in touch. I'd love to hear from you. ❤️
